Data Check - Absenteeism in primary and secondary schools

2 September 2011 1 min read Education Discipline and exclusions

In the school spring term this year, overall unauthorised absences fell in both maintained secondary and primary schools to 1.01 per cent, meaning nearly 62,000 pupils missed lessons without permission.

The figure was down on the same period in 2010 when 1.12 per cent of half days were skipped.

The figures, which were based on data collected in the summer 2011 School Census, also revealed the levels of pupil absence in each top-tier local authority.

Hull had the highest rate of unauthorised pupil absence with 2.35 per cent of sessions missed. Knowsley, Nottingham, Manchester and Greenwich were also among authorities with the highest rates of truancy.

Among the better performing authorities were Shropshire and Trafford, which both had 0.51 per cent of half days missed without permission. Rutland fared even better at 0.41 per cent.

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